Who's Tobi Uchiha?
by QuirkCirc
Summary: Tobi: just another moniker of Obito's, used to to further advance the speed of the Eye of the Moon Plan. Or is it? Meet Tobi Uchiha the horribly unstable and happy-go-lucky idiot whom Obito is undeniably stuck with. Sigh. Obito did not sign up for this. Nor did he ever expect the fool to go and betray him for some girl. Eventual Good!Obito and TobiHina WARNING: Triggers present.
1. Coincidence

**Autor's Note: So It was four in the morning and** ** _this_** **idea popped into my head. It's already been done before but I was bored. And I just LOVE Tobi and Hinata. Two of my favorite characters of all time. Even if Tobi was just a persona made up by Obito.**

 **Anyways, this fic will the involve one of the crackiest paring of all time (not really): TobiHina. Because there's just not enough.**

 **And because I want to. Enjoy and feel free to offer your criticism and whatnot.**

 **Disclaimer: Nothing involving fictional worlds are mine to claim. Yet.**

Chapter 1: Coincidence

Their first meeting was purely coincidental.

Obito awoke with a start. His breath came out in short pants as his onyx eyes adjusted to the low lighting in his room. The genin blinked blearily and looked at his bedside clock.

"Eh? Two thirty-four?" He groaned and slapped his hand over his face. What was he doing awake at two o'clock? He had a mission tomorrow! Kakashi would never let him live it down if he fell asleep during their super awesome mission. He frowned, remembering that _Bakashi_ had once again upped him. The stupid jerk was a jounin. The Uchiha's eyes hardened with determination. He'd make jounin for sure once the next exams came up! He'd show Kakashi, no, he'd show _everyone_ that he has what it takes to become Hokage! Maybe then Rin would stop her whole goo-goo eyes thing with Kakashi.

A sudden image of him barging through a wall of enemy ninja with Rin in his arms came to mind.

Yeah! That's what he'd do. Obito grinned. He'd be so badass out in the field that they would _have_ to promote him! He could already imagine the Third Hokage standing above the village with himself by his side as the elderly man bestowed upon him his very own green flak jacket. The raven-haired chuunin shook with excitement. The villagers would cheer him on and his clan would look at him proudly. They'd think, _"Wow, Obito you're amazing! You're truly going to become Hokage one day."_ Of course, their faces would be stoic and as emotionless as usual but they _would_ be thinking that!

Obito settled down into bed and sighed contently, slowly drifting back to sleep.

"NO! TOBI IS A G-GOOD BOY!" Obito quickly got up, his fingers twitching at his side for a kunai. Muffled shouts and noise could be heard coming from outside. The thirteen year old peeled back his blanket and tip-toed to his window to see what all the fuss was about. He warily peeked out his window. Seeing nothing due to the dust and grime that had collected on the glass from neglect he carefully pried it open. The spiky-haired boy was confused to see a child no older than four shivering terribly with tears running down his cherub face. Obito unconsciously leaned forward to get a closer look.

The boy, from what he could see, had numerous deep scars scattered around his face and arms. His black hair obscured his eyes but Obito knew they must have been wide with fear.

Maybe he was lost. Although, how the kid got lost here was a complete mystery to the Uchiha. It was odd seeing people around here, especially around this time. Obito lived in the outskirts of the Uchiha compound, at least five or six miles away from anything resembling civilization. The genin grit his teeth bitterly. No one wanted him. He was the black sheep of the clan. He was already thirteen and he hadn't even activated the first stage of his Sharingan. Pathetic. Not to mention his _barely_ average shinobi skills and his exuberant character didn't exactly earn him any brownie points. Obito was a disgrace- a blatant smudge on the proud Uchiha legacy.

The boy below sobbed into his long green scarf, "Please leave Tobi alone. H-He's sorry, please don't lock Tobi away again."

Obito stiffened as five masked shinobi suddenly surrounded the terrified child. The black-eyed teen watched as the _five freaking Anbu Black Ops_ approached the child. Their bodies were tense and their hands were positioned closely to their weapons. You could practically see the tension wafting and curling through the night sky.

Obito blinked incredulously. Why were there _five_ _freaking_ Anbu members after one tiny kid. The squirt didn't look like he could put up much of a fight. Or tie his own sandals, for that matter. However, Minato-sensei did say that a good shinobi always looks underneath the underneath.

His eyes narrowed as a hawk masked shinobi spoke.

"Come with us willingly or we will be forced to subdue you by _any_ means necessary." The subtle threat caused a shiver to run down Obito's back. The man's voice was so _cold_ and _unfeeling_. Almost robotic.

The kid, Tobi, shook his head fervently.

"No! Tobi doesn't want to go back." He raised his hands innocently, his voice wavering. "T-Tobi didn't hurt anyone. Tobi is a _good_ _boy_." A neko masked kunoichi stepped up, her hands beckoning the boy to come closer.

Her voice was soft and soothing. "Yes, you are, Tobi-chan. You're a _very_ good boy." The spiky-haired kid slowly stopped shaking as he watched Neko inch closer. "Tobi-chan is a good, _good_ boy." Obito watched with trepidation as the female Anbu stood in front of the entranced child.

Obito saw the the child's lips upturn in a gleeful smile. "Tobi likes your voice, Neko-chan! It's pretty." Tobi giggled happily, no longer afraid. Neko nodded and Obito almost missed the subtle gesture of her hand as she patted Tobi's head stiffly

Three male Anbu obeyed the silent command, surrounding the boy in a standard triangle formation. Neko forced chakra to her feet and jumped back. Tobi let out a shriek of pain as one the Anbu ninja twisted his arms behind his back. The second masked-nin quickly took hold of the child's shoulders. Another pulled out a pair of chakra-repressing manacles that Obito recalled seeing when a group of jounin had brought in a captured Iwa-nin to T&I.

The genin grounded his teeth in anger. This was cruel, tricking the child into letting down his guard only to stab him in the back. The kid was harmless! He probably couldn't even spell his own name if his life depended on it. Obito was already preparing to launch himself down from his two-story window when the impossible happened.

"Stop!" The small boy struggled wildly, his scarf coming undone and falling to the ground. "Tobi is not crazy!" Tobi reared back his head. Obito stilled, his muscles freezing.

 _His eyes._

The raven-haired teen couldn't believe it.

The moon illuminated the two crimson orbs, exposing the legendary dōjutsu- the Mangekyō Sharingan. Obito had only heard snippets about the final stage of the sharingan. It was the last and most heartbreaking thing an Uchiha could hope to achieve. He'd heard that the power gained from unlocking the Mangekyō sharingan was unrivaled, allowing the user to easily accomplish the impossible. But it was not without its drawbacks. Eventually the dōjutsu would either blind the bearer or make them go irrevocably insane. Maybe it's the latter that happened to Tobi. It made sense. The boy had hinted that he was, quite possibly, an escaped mental patient.

Obito shook his head. Regardless, the kid was obviously frightened and in trouble. He'd made it his life's goal to become Hokage and a Hokage's responsibility was protect all of Konoha's people, whether they were mentally all there or not. The Uchiha, with renewed conviction, prepared to leap down to the the four year old's rescue.

Unfortunately, the kid had a way of shocking Obito into immobility.

Tobi's eyes spun. The pinwheel shaped orbs became a blur as they continued to frantically look for an escape route. One of the Anbu rushed forward to shackle the boy only for the manacles to pass _through_ his wrists. Obito watched in awe as the scarred Uchiha (he was obviously an Uchiha: the dark hair and eye pigment and not to mention his freaking, fully evolved sharingan!) became intangible and easily slipped through the grip that the two male shinobi had on him.

Tobi faced them, and in that moment Obito felt his heart weaken, and said through the tears and blood streaming out his eyes, "Tobi is tired, Anbu-chan. He's tired of running away and people always hurting him." Hawk swiped at him only for his arms to go through. Tobi flinched back, hugging himself. "Tobi doesn't like it there. They don't ever let him out to play! It's dark, lonely, and it smells icky in Tobi's cage."

Neko and the other three Anbu ignored him and flew through various hand signs, finally slamming their hands onto ground with a synchronized yell, "Sealing Art: Cage of the Beast!" The scarred boy slowly passed through the A-rank jutsu. His chest was heaving as if the very act of breathing was too much for him. The boy cried out with raw emotion inflecting his voice, "Why are you doing this to Tobi! Stop it! He didn't do anything. Tobi is a good boy…that's what Momma used to say before…" He trailed off, his body swaying. Two Anbu Black Ops darted towards him, attempting to shackle him. Again, their attack slipped through his body. Tobi rubbed at his eyes tiredly, mixing his blood and tears on his porcelain-cracked cheeks. "Tobi wants to go home. Tobi wants his b-bunny-" The raven-haired boy paused as the forgotten fifth Anbu member appeared. In his calloused hands that had caused so much death and despair was a limp, stuffed toy. The Anbu was an odd one. He was lanky with with a mop of red hair atop his head. His standard issue uniform, that all Anbu Black Ops wore, hanged loosely off his tall frame. His grinning fox mask was an oddity among the hard-faced, empty masks of his team.

Obito slunk back into his room, peeking out cautiously. These were Anbu shinobi down there. They wouldn't take too kindly to him if they caught him spying on them- whether he be freind or foe.

War does that to a village. Even he knew that.

Tobi stepped forward. His legs shook but he made his way towards the dirty toy. The bunny looked like it's been through hell and back. having been torn in places and then sown crudely back together with the inexperienced hands of a child. It was like a mini Frankenstein.

"Bunny-chan?" Tobi called, his eyes flickering between red and black. They finally settled on black as the sharingan disappeared. The fox-masked man shook the toy enticingly. The spiky-haired child reached out for the bunny. Fatigue, however, got the best of him and the boy toppled over. The Anbu surged forward and gently caught Tobi, cradling him his strong arms. He, almost fondly, tucked the beloved toy into the child's arms. The redhead stood up straight, towering over his fellow shinobi.

"I'll take the boy back. Go report back to Hokage-jiji." He said, voice deep and full of authority despite its rather gaunt container. Before the others could protest the man had shunshinned away in a flurry of leaves. The four Anbu members followed soon after. The only sign of their presence were the few scattered leaves and the worn, green scarf laying forgotten on the floor. Obito warily looked around, expecting a masked-nin to pop out and show him a thing or two for being the nosy person he is.

The raven-haired boy listened intently. Hearing nothing, he jumped out his window and picked up the scarf the mystery Uchiha had left behind. The fabric was soft and warm despite looking worse for wear. Obito fingered the clothe before folding it.

He looked contemplative as he walked back into his lonely apartment. Maybe he'd head over to the Konoha Mental Institution for Shinobi after his mission and give it back to the poor kid. Obito smiled to himself, tucking the scarf away. Yeah, that's what he'd do. Obito laid in his bed and went back to sleep.

However, Obito would ultimately 'die' saving Bakashi, departing with a belated gift to his new best freind and rival. So many things left unsaid, undone.

Obito coughed, choking on his own blood. Luckily, his entire right side was numb so the only thing he could feel was the earth rumbling beneath him as the cave collapsed and the deep regret seeping into his body.

He would never get to see his friends: Genma, the cocky player. Asuma and his secret sweetheart, Kurenai. Gai and his overenthusiastic shouts of "Youth!" Nor would he hear Raido's, Izuma's and Kotetsu's cries of fear as Anko ran after them with murder in her eyes. Nor taste Kushina-neechan's world class ramen. Minato-sensei and his kind, gentle smile as he patiently waited for him to understand a particular difficult theory about chakra. He would never have the pleasure of removing that infernal stick that was stuck up Ebisu's as-

The genin choked, spitting the clotted blood out. This was it. Obito smiled, the action feeling bitter-sweet. What he would miss the most, though, were his silly fights with Kakashi and how Rin would tentatively rush in and play peacemaker.

"R…Rin." He croaked. If he had his left eye he was sure he would have been crying. He'd miss everything that made Rin… _Rin._ Her sweet smiles, the way her eyes flared with anger when he tried escaping the hospital, her gentle chakra as she healed him for the hundredth time, and the way she'd look at him when it was just him and her. The pure joy on her face caused by just being with him. His heart swelled…then deflated. He'd never fulfill his promise of being Hokage. He'd never get the acknowledgment he always craved. Worst of all, Obito would never get to tell Rin that he…loved and still did love her even as he lay dying somewhere in Kusagakure.

The sudden image of a raven-haired boy with powerful eyes popped into his head.

 _"_ _Oh yeah, I almost forgot about you_ … _I guess I'll never get to give you back your scarf…"_

The darkness was closing in now, its claws sinking into his flesh, making him feel cold and more alone than he'd ever felt in his whole life.

"Tobi." He croaked, his body letting go as his breaths quietly subsided.


	2. Bloody Remembrance

**A/N: Aw, thanks for the reviews and faves, people! I honestly never thought anyone would read this ._.**

 **WARNING! Possible triggers are present in this chapter (AKA Self-harm)**

Chapter 2: Bloody Remembrance

Two weeks had passed since his last escape attempt and Tobi was _pretty_ content with himself. They'd moved him to a nicer, cleaner cell and it even had a little window! He suspected it had something to do with the kind fox-masked shinobi who'd returned his bunny-chan to him. The meanie doctors had taken his favorite and only toy in hopes of making him 'better'. Tobi stuck out his tongue in distaste. He was already fine. Why would he need to get better if he was already good?

"Tobi is a good boy." He mumbled to himself. The red-haired Anbu, who'd he taken to calling Kit-chan, was really nice. Tobi frowned, thinking. He was the only nice person, actually. All the others either ignored him or were scared of him. He didn't understand why. Tobi didn't understand a lot of things, really. He didn't understand why he burped, how the squeaky clean doctors expected him to eat their yucky food, why his tongue was pink, whether the egg came before the chicken, or why he wasn't allowed to go outside.

Tobi carefully peeked through the bars of his cell. Seeing no white lab coats, he quickly darted back inside. The child rummaged through his bed, throwing random objects aside.

"Aha! Tobi found you, you naughty little sock!" Hidden inside the mattress was an old sock was a small scalpel that a careless doctor had dropped only a few days prior. He had waited patiently for the missing tool to be forgotten before taking it out. Now was the time. The boy grinned happily to himself, a manic gleam in his onyx eyes. Today was a very good day for a very good boy because that's what his Momma used to say before she…

Tobi pressed the cool blade against the scars on his wrist. It was so cold.

A rush of anticipation went through him before he slowly dug the blade into the soft skin. He watched with fascination as the ruby droplets slowly trailed down his arm and onto the pristine white floor he sat on. Routinely, he carefully reopened the scarred flesh until his arms were nothing but a mesh of intricate crimson rivers, overflowing and interconnecting with each other. Faces and snippets of a forgotten memory flashed through his eyes. He liked this part. Tobi rested his back on the floor. The chakra-retraining seals on his shirt crinkled. White spots clouded his vision as he calmly bled out on the floor. This was nice. Just laying down and- Oh! One of the white spots look _just_ like Bunny-chan!

"Hee hee. Hello, Bunny-chan!" The child called out, ignoring the subtle pain coming from his forearms as he waved feebly. "Oh! That one looks like a unicorn and that one looks like a white foxy face."

He smiled goofily. It kinda looked like Kit-chan's mask thing.

"Tobi." A familiar baritone voice said with a hint of panic lacing the tone. Tobi barely had time to register the new face when suddenly it felt like he was flying. Colors and sounds flashed by him as the unknown person shunshinned to the hospital.

"Quick, this boy needs immediate medical attention _now_!" The white spots were completely blocking his eyesight except for a small patch of clarity where he could barely make out the red hair that Kit-chan was so famous for. He liked red. It was the same color as blood. Blood made him feel good. It felt nice, reliving all the good times with his Momma as he refreshed the scars on his body.

Kitsune growled in anger. No one was listening to him. The nurses and doctors were too busy attending to the wounded Konoha shinobi. His keen eyes spotted a mop of brown hair towards the back of the hallways, carrying a stack of boxes. He located the telltale signs of a medic ninja and rushed over to her.

The girl, no older than thirteen, gasped when she saw the crumpled body in his grip. "W-What happened to him?" Her brown eyes were red and puffy like she had been crying previously. He paid no mind to that. Tobi was more important. Kitsune handed the boy to her and watched as her face went pale at the sight of his scarred face. Blood steadily seeped onto the floor.

"Is something wrong?" He asked, steel in his voice. Kitsune hated when people stared. They had no right to judge such an innocent creature. Someone as fragile as Tobi. He felt something hot stirring inside him. Absolutely no right.

The girl flinched. "No, s-sorry, Anbu-san." Her young face seemed to age ten years right before his eyes. The hot anger Kitsune had felt before vanished in an instant. Curse him for being so soft. "He just looks like someone very precious to me…who I lost not too long ago." She placed Tobi on a spare gurney and began tending to his wounds. The brown-haired girl was a professional despite her young age. Her hands, shaking with emotion, forced themselves to stop and bandage up the small Uchiha.

Kitsune watched her silently. "Who died?" The redhead asked rather bluntly. Rin frowned. The guy had no tact at all! Annoyance quickly seeped out of her as the usual bout of grief and guilt took its place once more upon her heart.

Her heart wrenched as she spoke, "My teammate." _Teammate._ There was so much meaning in that single word. A teammate was someone who made you laugh, that you got into silly fights with, trained with, trusted inexplicably with your _life_ , who stayed by your side through thick and thin, and loved, no matter how flawed they were, because they were your precious person- someone you would risk everything for. Even at the cost of your own life.

 _Obito…_

The red-haired man nodded, remembering his own teammates. The people who'd made him into the person he was today. They were all gone now. Family and friends too. Gone with either a well-placed justu or a quick flick of a kunai.

"War takes a lot from us, doesn't it?"

Rin finished wrapping the boy's wounds. Luckily, he hadn't lost much blood so there was no need to take drastic measures. Though, if the Anbu hadn't brought the boy in he would have died of blood loss in less than twenty minutes. She turned to the Anbu only to be met with a grinning fox face that didn't match the somber voice behind it.

"Yes, it does." Rin spoke softly. "Did you lose someone close to you too?" The brown-haired girl absentmindedly brushed back a few stray strands of hair away from the unconscious child's face, further exposing the gruesome scars. Kitsune was silent once more. Rin's hand stilled as she realized the idiocy of her question. Wait, what was she doing? Here she was, asking a highly respected Anbu his life story. He didn't even know her! Besides, Anbu were designed to be emotionless and silent. The perfect weapon. Unfeeling, cold steel objects of destruction and assassination.

Rin ducked her head. Who was she to be asking her superior such personal questions. "I'm sorry, Anbu-san! I didn't mean to be so nosy." She smiled sheepishly, turning back to Tobi and refitting his bandages nervously.

The redhead chuckled. Rin shot her head around in shock. Anbu Black Ops do not _chuckle_. They were stony-faced, nameless shinobi with skill sets that could rival Minato-sensei. They most certainly did not _chuckle._ But here he was, the odd fox-masked ninja, chuckling. She could barely see the mirth shining in his blue eyes behind the porcelain mask.

"It's not nice to laugh at people, Anbu-san." Rin chided. Kitsune laugh once more, smiling behind his mask.

"You're funny." He shifted, becoming serious once more. Now _this_ was a seasoned Anbu shinobi. "But yes. I've lost all the precious people in my life, but now," his head tilted downwards, "Kami has gifted me someone who's come to be very precious to me and I will _never_ let him down. Not again." The revelation and level of determination in his voice caught Rin by surprise. She hadn't been expecting such conviction and emotion from a seemingly random Anbu. Kitsune suddenly stood up. Rin startled, looking at him in confusion.

"I have to go." Carefully and almost tenderly, Rin noted, the blue-eyed shinobi scooped up Tobi into his thin arms. He turned to her and bowed low. The tips of his spiked red hair brushed along the tiled floor.

Rin unashamedly gaped like a fish out of water.

Kitsune made sure not to jumble his charge when he stood back up. "Thank you for taking care of my precious person when no one else could."

The genin composed herself enough to dumbly nod. "Oh, um, of course!" She replied, obliviously flattered at the Anbu's blatant sign of gratitude and respect. Kitsune smiled behind his mask. She would survive. Her Will of Fire would continue to burn despite the dousing of tragedy and pain she was going through. He was sure of it.

"Kitsune." At Rin's odd look, he pointed to his mask. "My Anbu mask is a Kitsune so you can call me Kitsune." He shifted the bandaged child in his arms. "And this mummy's name is Tobi."

"Sayonara, Kitsune-san, Tobi-kun." She smiled at the sleeping boy's peaceful face. Tobi looked so serene despite the bloodied gauze. The triangle marks on her face creased as she looked up at Kitsune. He was really tall. "My name is Rin Nohara. It was very nice meeting you."

The red-haired shinobi nodded. "Likewise, Rin-kohai." Rin didn't know what to say to the honorific she'd been given. The girl opted for smiling kindly. "I enjoyed this…chat with you, if that's what you'd like to call it." He looked at her through the eyeholes of the mask almost _expectantly._

Before she could stop herself RIn felt the word leaving her lips, "You're weird, Kitsune-san." Her eyed instantly widened and she looked up at the shinobi in mortification.

Kitsune merely chuckled, seemingly pleased with her reply, and disappeared with a quick flicker. Rin simply watched the leaves gently float to the the ground in the strange Anbu's wake.

 _"_ _Huh."_ She thought. The kunoichi picked up the same cardboard box from earlier and headed to the storage basement. _"What a strange Anbu. At least he's nice."_


	3. Perfect

Chapter 3: Perfect

Their second meeting, as fate would have it, was a coincidence too.

Patience. That was something Obito had never understood growing up. He'd rather rush into battle without a second thought than sit back and actually think things through.

Now was different. _He_ was different. _He_ was no longer the weak, foolishly optimistic boy he once was.

Obito could be patient when needed. Because patience, he learned, paid off. Very well, in fact.

The masked ninja observed the devastation left in the Kyuubi's wake. The earth was black, scorched by the tailed beast's chakra. The air was heavy with the beast's potent chakra. The air smelled sour from all the smoke. Buildings lay in shambles and Obito simply watched the proud people of Konoha trudge around in woe. They were just as destroyed as their village. Shinobi and civilians alike were killed mercilessly by the Bijuu's massive force or had been driven to insanity by its demonic chakra. The Nine-Tail's chakra was something not to be underestimated and easily corrupted those who were not unfortunate to die under the beast's paws. The Konoha Mental Institution for Shinobi was brimming to the top. They'd have to build a new one at this rate. Obito silently stayed crouched, watching the sad Hidden Village from his perch within the trees. Ignoring his wounds dealt from the battle against the _Yondiame Hokage_ (bitterness trickled into the cavity where his heart had once resided) he continued on with his thoughts. _"It will all be better."_ He shifted. _"Once the Eye of the Moon plan is complete everything will be perfect."_ A maddened gleam entered his crimson orbs. _"Perfect. Just like the way it was before…_ " A flash of a brown haired girl smiling serenely invaded his mindscape. The Uchiha gripped the branch underneath him harder. There was no need to dwell on such thoughts. Especially when everything would be fine in the future. No, perfect. Absolutely perfect.

A sudden crash to his left drew away his attention. Obito carefully checked his chakra, making sure it was masked and he wouldn't be detected by any Anbu members or sensor ninjas. The spinning pinwheel shone through the only eye-hole of his mask as he turned his head.

 _Earlier…_

Tobi bit back a sob. He was lost. Utterly and irrevocably lost. Tears sprang into his eyes, blurring his vision. What would he do now? The six-year-old felt fury, betrayal, and despair sink into his already broken heart all at once. _"Why?"_ He shut his eyes tightly and sped up his pace, running from _everything_. Twigs snapped and whipped at his face as he raced deeper into the forest. He didn't care. The pain was nothing compared to the deep wrenching agony he felt in his chest where his heart should have been. Only a pile of shattered pieces remained.

 _"_ _Why does everyone always leave Tobi. Why did Kit-chan leave Tobi all alone?"_ He gripped his stuffed bunny tighter to his chest, running faster. He hadn't meant to see that, didn't want to see that. But he did. Every single bloody, gory detail.

Tobi had fled the Mental Institution during all the chaos. No one had noticed the small boy was gone until it was too late. There was nothing they could do. Too many shinobi had died during the attack, leaving few to spare and search for just one missing patient. Even one as powerful and unstable such as himself.

Tobi had escaped into the surrounding woods, delving deeper inside in fear of discovery. He never wanted to go back. Feeling the wind rush through his spiked hair and the grass tickling his ankles felt wondrous. It felt like freedom. However, all the giddiness and anxiety he was experiencing vanished in an instant. Once he heard Kit-chan's voice croak, "T-T-Tobi?"

The small child had whipped his head around to the side. Only then did he see the true destruction the Kyuubi had brought upon the village. His attention was ripped away from the carnage as the man he'd grown to look up to and love coughed harshly, blood splattering everywhere and staining the ground red. Tobi had raced forward, eyes wide in horror.

"Kit-chan!" He cried clutching the man's hand and Bunny-chan's in his own small ones. The redhead grinned, his mask sliding off and revealing his smooth face stained by smoke and debris. His bright red hair, that Tobi had admired in the past, was burgundy in color and plastered to his forehead with perspiration. The onyx-eyed boy could only stare into his bright blue eyes. Eyes that were slowly losing their luster. Tobi ignored the tree shard sticking out from the man's side and threw himself onto the Anbu, nuzzling his cheek. Blood seeped into his shirt as he cried.

"Please don't leave Tobi, K-Kit-chan!" He pressed his face deeper into the man's neck. The familiar scent of oranges coupled with smoke filled his nose. Kit-chan had always smelled like oranges.

Kitsune weakly raised his hand and settled it atop the crying boy's head. He ruffled the raven locks and chucked, willing the blood and bile to go back.

"I-I'm sorry you had to s-see," his body shivered violently, frightening the child even more, "me…like th-this, Tobi-chan." He said. Mustering up all his strength he raised the boy's head until they were eye to eye. The Uchiha could do nothing but look back. "Tobi," His voice was hard and serious. "when I'm gone…I-I-I," He coughed, blood spilling down his chin, "wa-want you to leave and f-find a nice ho-home." A whimper escaped the child's mouth as the Anbu's eyes softened and his chest heaved as he gathered the necessary will-power to finish. "Don't let them find you. A-And I wa-want you to promise me something, Tobi." Tobi nodded his head fervently, not liking the deepening pain settling into his heart. It felt awful and it hurt a lot too. But he'd stay by Kit-chan's side.

Kitsune's mouth wobbled as he smiled. His voice was nothing but a whisper now. "Promise me y-you'll be a good boy while I'm gone."

Tobi nodded furiously, "Don't worry Tobi will always be a g-good boy just for Kit-chan." He lowered his head, tears dripping onto the jounin's blood-soaked vest. "But Tobi wasn't a very good boy today because he c-couldn't protect Kit-chan." Kitsune chuckled, blood gurgling in his mouth and making it sound morbid. The man grimaced.

"D-Don't worry ab-about that, Tobi-chan because I least I'll die knowing I protected the village and my l-l-last precious person."

Tobi sniffled and held the shinobi's face with childish jealously inflecting his voice, "Who's Kit-chan's precious person? Is it the pretty lady in the picture that Tobi saw you looking at. The lady with no clothes-" With remarkable speed for a dying man the redhead quickly clamped his hands around the innocent kid's mouth.

"NO! Er, I mean, o-of course she's not, gaki." The dark-haired boy was saddened to see the flush leave his cheeks. His face was pale and skinny now. Tobi's eyes widened. Kit-chan was _leaving_! More tears fell onto the man's blood-soaked clothes. Kit-chan looked like a skeleton! Kitsune licked his lips and continued. The pain was growing unbearable. He had to finish fast. "Tobi you're my p-precious person, you si-silly child." Tear's gathered in his eyes. This was probably the last time he'd see the brat's cute face. Well, until they were reunited in the Pure World, but he sincerely hoped that would be _waaay_ later in the future. Preferably when the kid's hair had gone gray and he had lived a long, long life. He grit his teeth and blinked back the wetness in his eyes. He choked and Tobi hurriedly wiped the blood from his mouth. The Anbu chuckled again, "P-P-Promise me ano-another thing, T-tobi." He grimaced as his vision went hazy. He could no longer see the boy's heartbroken face. "Promise me that when you're older and s-str-stronger and you find your s-special person that you won't fa-fail like me." Tobi shook his head.

"No, Kit-chan never failed Tobi. Kit-chan _is_ Tobi's precious person!" He said and desperately clutched the man's calloused hands. Kitsune squeezed the boy's small hand with what power he had left.

"…promise me you'll protect them…say hi to them for m-me…" He whispered. Then just like that, his hand went limp in Tobi's and his lively blue eyes dulled, turning a faint gray. Tobi sobbed into the shinobi's vest. He was still so warm.

It had begun to rain but the Uchiha paid it no mind. He ignored the sting of the rain water landing on his cuts, the numbing coldness, and the way Kitsune's blood stained his clothes and face.

"No, Kit-chan _cannot_ leave Tobi!" The child yelled. "No!"

Then suddenly he shot up and into the forest. Maybe if he ran fast and far enough everything would go away. So when he went back Kit-chan would still be alive alongside his Momma and everything would be okay- perfect

So this was how Tobi found himself sprawled out on the floor after having tripped and scared out of his little mind in the middle of Konoha's forest with nothing but a bleeding heart and a horrible sense of direction. What would he do? He couldn't go back to Konoha or they'd just lock him back up again. He wouldn't dare go back. Not when Kit-chan and Momma were...still...dead.

Tobi sobbed and curled himself into a ball on the muddy, cold ground.

He was lost. So _so so_ lost.

Obito watched the child closely, trying to remember where he'd seen that scarred face before. His eyes narrowed in realization.

 _"_ _Yes, this is the child that those Anbu were chasing down. The one with Mangekyō Sharingan."_ He thought as his eyes zoned in on the Uchiha. The boy could be a useful asset in bringing the Eye of the Moon plan into fruition. Obito ignored the child's pitiful cries and silently moved to the tree above the small human ball the boy had transformed himself into.

His voice was strong as it rang through the forest, "Are you lost, boy?"

Tobi froze.

Obito frowned behind his mask as the boy looked up. His black eyes were red and puffy from crying. His Sharingan, however, was strong.

Obito sighed. Such a weak container. The boy's heart was too soft. Nevertheless, the child would become a useful tool to him if shaped correctly.

"Why are you crying?" Obito didn't really care but it wouldn't do to just kidnap the boy. He had to make him go willingly; make him see the beauty of a perfect reality.

Tobi hiccuped and rubbed his eyes furiously. Crying always made his eyes itchy.

"Everyone is gone…why do they leave Tobi? Is Tobi a b-bad boy?"

Obito smirked inwardly. This was just what he needed to sway the boy to his side.

"I can bring everyone back, Tobi." He said, thinking of his old teammates. Yes, everyone would be back and things would be perfect. Obito held out his hand to the shaking child. "Wouldn't you like to bring everyone back?"

Tobi sniffed and smiled widely. "Yes! Tobi wants to bring back Momma and Kit-chan and show them that Tobi is sorry and he's a good boy!" He babbled, standing up and looking at the missing-nin with such hopeful, big eyes. Obito dismissed the slight twinge in his heart. It was nothing. Probably just the wounds from his fight with _Minato-sensei_ acting up.

Obito nodded stiffly. "Good. Come with me and I _promise_ ," a determined glint entered his remaining eye, "everything will go back to the way it was before. No one will be dead, gone, or lost." Obito turned away remembering Rin's joyful smile. Damn it! He needed to be strong, detached, and focused if he was ever going to fulfill Madara's wishes. "Everything will be perfect."

Tobi made a sound of contentment as he took hold of the oldr Uchiha's hand. Obito had to fight back the urge to flinch. It's been so long since someone had touched him in such a harmless manner.

"Tobi likes shinobi-san a lot! Shinobi-san makes Tobi feel nice." The child's face wrinkled in thought. He looked like a raisin in the low lighting of the forest. Obito found the expression humorous but his body language betrayed no sign of his amusement. "Er, what is shinobi-san's name? Tobi's name is Tobi." he asked/said. Obito frowned. What was his name? It'd been so long since he last heard his name he'd almost forgotten what it was. Usually he spent his time as a nameless nobody or masquerading as Madara Uchiha- the legacy the man had passed on to him. He looked down at the scarred face of a boy who'd seen too much. It was a wonder the child hadn't fallen into the darkness even when his only light had been snuffed. He suddenly envied the kid but the emotion quickly passed.

"You may call me Obito." He said finally, activating his sharingan and preparing to teleport away to his current hideout. He had to plan. Failing to obtain the nine-tails was nothing but a setback. The Eye of Moon plan _will_ continue.

The two steadily faded, the feint voice of an energetic Tobi could still be heard.

"Oh! Where are we going Obi-nii? Oooh, your eye looks just like Tobi's. How come you only have one eye? Are you hiding the other other one behind your mask? Where'd you get that mask? Can I have one? Not the same one though, Obi-nii, because that would be tacky. Is niisan a cyclops? Uh oh. Why does Obi-nii look so angry? Don't worry, Tobi will fix it!" The sound of the boy's small body colliding with other Uchiha's resounded throughout the small area. " _There!_ Hugs make everything better, Obi-nii. Tobi is a good boy~!"

Obito mentally screamed in frustration. The brat better prove useful or he was going to strangle the little shit with his bare hands.


End file.
